Assorted Materials: Johnny Ryan

Archive for the ‘Business’ Category

World of Warcraft, WTF?

Posted by: johnnyryan on: 5 September 2009

For the forthcoming book it was inevitable that I would look at World of Warcraft.
‘World of Warcraft’ is by any standard is the most popular computer game of all time. Since its release in 2005 it has built a steadily increasing following of loyal subscribers. 11.5 million people across the globe were paid subscribers as [...]

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The origins of “smart casual”?

Posted by: johnnyryan on: 22 July 2009

Short teaser from the forthcoming book… The tailored suit has a long history. The coat, waistcoat, and breeches gradually became the gentleman’s mainstay from the English Restoration in the 1660s onward, when the elaborate dress common at European courts fell out of favor. Embroidery and silk died out from the middle of the 18th century [...]

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The bubble… (eBay, Amazon, Netscape, Webvan, Pets.com…)

Posted by: johnnyryan on: 18 July 2009

Continuing from the earlier snippet about the Dot Com Collapse… this is a continuing piece from the forthcoming book. (feedback welcome)
The collapse had been foreseen by a shrewd few. In early December 1996, Alan Greenspan, the Chairman of the US Federal Reserve, attended a dinner in his honor at the American Enterprise Institute. After the [...]

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Newspaper circulation decline

Posted by: johnnyryan on: 28 June 2009

The decline in newspaper circulation is a topic I’ve begun to explore for the forthcoming book on the history of the Internet. In May 2009, the Newspaper Association of America issued figures revealing a 29.7% decline in US newspapers’ print advertising revenues in a single quarter at the beginning of 2009. This presumably is partly [...]

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The tulip, NASDAQ, and the dot-com crash

Posted by: johnnyryan on: 13 May 2009

I’m studying the dot-com crash for the book… (the image is the Pets.com sock puppet)
From 1634-1637 a wave of enthusiasm and investment swept the Dutch Republic, the object of which was the tulip. At home, the tulip was becoming an important element of Turkish court culture, to the extent that the Sultan of the Ottoman [...]

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About

I'm interested in 4 things: A) THE HISTORY OF THE INTERNET AND ITS LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE; B) Ireland’s Digital Competitiveness; c) the Political Impact of the Internet; D) How ideas - including violent political ideas - are communicated online.

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